


Treat or Trick?

by SpiraledIntoThisRabbithole



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/M, Halloween, Matchmaking, One Shot, Spells & Enchantments, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 02:21:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21366592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiraledIntoThisRabbithole/pseuds/SpiraledIntoThisRabbithole
Summary: Tessa Virtue is the owner of a cafe, Virtue's Secret Garden. One day, a grown man enters her shop, dressed in a pirate(?) costume, and Tessa will never view Halloween in the same way again.
Relationships: Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue
Comments: 24
Kudos: 81





	Treat or Trick?

**Author's Note:**

> About two weeks ago, I was swept up by all the lovely Halloween fics, and I (stupidly) decided, hey, it would be fun to write a fluffy Halloween VM fic! This, even though I come from a country who doesn’t celebrate Halloween, and have little to no knowledge about the type of magic/folklore that might be applicable here. 
> 
> Furthermore, I sadly jumped into writing immediately with no thought about a plot, a concept or an ending… so guess who got distracted about halfway through and ended up writing other new VM AU fics that preoccupied my brain in the days leading up to (and the days after) Halloween? Honestly, I’m treating this like a writing exercise, just going with the flow without thinking too much. I just wanted to finish it quickly (before next Halloween), so I know it isn’t as strong as I would have liked it to be...

Tessa had once adored dressing up for Halloween. 

While other children loved getting candy, Tessa just liked the chance to dress up as a fairy princess. One year she was Belle, the next Ariel, the year after Jasmine… but eventually she got older and Halloween suddenly became complicated. 

Upon reaching her teenage years, she realised that the cute outfits she liked were considered childish. None of her friends wanted to dress as fairies or princesses. They wanted to be cool and dark - dressing as goths or witches; or sexy – like Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. So Tessa adapted herself accordingly. One year for example, she adopted her own version of the Hit Me Baby One More Time sexy schoolgirl outfit. As year after year passed, and Halloween just became an excuse for everyone around her to dress like a sexy witch, or a sexy vampire, or a sexy black cat, Tessa stopped making too much of an effort for her Halloween outfits anymore. (She still loved the chocolate though, but she was old enough to no longer need an excuse to buy her own candy.)

Halloween also becomes complicated when her mother sits her down and tells her she’s a witch, and that Kate’s side of the family comes from a  _ long  _ line of witches. She always knew there was something  _ different  _ about her family, but now a lot of things are making much more sense. For instance, her mother had always loved gardening, but after her father left, Kate had fully embraced her passion, even commissioning a greenhouse to be built behind the house to support her desire to grow almost every herb she possibly can. (Tessa learns later that since they are hedge witches, herbs are very important for their magic). Eight year old Tessa had also remembered thinking it odd that both Casey and Kelvin would meditate before every big sports match (complete with candles and scents), very atypical for any young man, let alone teenage boys. And of course, her big sister Jordan has been unabashedly obsessed with tarot cards and astrology for as long as Tessa can remember. 

When Tessa learns the truth about her magical powers, Halloween stops becoming a holiday for children and candy and dress-up.

=====

As a witch and the owner of her own café, Halloween only adds extra oomph to the month of October for Tessa.

Tessa already weaves in little spells into her drinks and baked treats to give her customers an extra bonus during the day. Nothing too serious, but for example, when the frazzled Tanith White rushes in asking for a double shot espresso with soy milk, Tessa will mutter something as she makes the drink to give Tanith that extra boost that will last the rest of the day, without the usual caffeine crash. And when Mr Igor Shpiland comes in feeling depressed after the dissolvement of his business partnership, Tessa recommends a chocolate mint brownie to go with his chamomile tea, and she imbues into his order a sense of reassurance and openness for what’s ahead. The older man leaves the shop with a smile, and almost a skip in his step.

So Halloween, like Christmas, is not only a period in which she can introduce festive-appropriate beverages and snacks on her menu to draw in more customers. It is also the perfect time for her to _do_ _more_ for her customers. Tessa always feels like there is more magic in the air in the weeks leading up to Halloween, and so her mini spells bring even more benefits to her customers.

As a businesswoman, she can also appreciate the general popularity of pumpkin spiced lattes and other Halloween inspired drinks, with Virtue’s Secret Garden selling dozens of those every day. The homemade Halloween treats from both her mother and herself also fly off the shelf and fill up her cash till, with their cute designs of spiderwebs, ghosts, skeletons, and gravestones…

So October is a great month, and Tessa knows it was the first Sunday of that extra magical month when she first laid eyes on him. 

She had just updated the special of the day – her mother’s chocolate pie with pumpkin cheesecake filling, on the chalkboard, and finished fobbing off her mother over the phone (Kate wanted to introduce Tessa to the son of one of her friends), when she had turned around to be confronted with a grown man dressed as a  _ pirate? _ There was no eyepatch, fake parrot or cutlass though, just the white tunic, blue vest, brown sling bag and boots. 

Tessa blinked as she took in his entire outfit. Despite the obvious costume he was wearing, the man looked  _ good, _ with brown hair curling attractively over his forehead and hazel eyes that stared at the menu board above her. 

The blonde child clinging to his right leg (dressed in completely normal clothes) however gave her pause. No matter how fabulous a jawline Mr White Tunic Shirt had, Tessa had no plans to crush on unavailable men. 

Still, she can’t help staring a little longer. Struck a little dumb by the handsome man, and appreciating how he looks as if he just stepped off the cover of a romance novel.

“How may I help you?” She asks pleasantly, smiling down at the little blonde girl. It’s safer to look at her instead.

“Can you see?” The man asks the girl in a low voice, that does something to Tessa inside. Before the girl can reply, he carries her up so that she can have a better look at the menu and the goodies in the display case. 

Tessa admits that somehow, that sight made the whole picture even more appealing as she feels her entire body hum with attraction. What is it with men being sweet to children? 

While she also acknowledges that the act showed off his excellent biceps, it’s also when the man and girl’s faces are so close together, peering into the cake display counter, that Tessa can detect the faint similarity in their features. 

“Hi, can I have hot chocolate and a chocolate cupcake please?” The girl replies to both Tessa and the man, after a careful perusal. 

“Sure.” The father grins down at her, then looking at Tessa with that unfairly gorgeous grin still on his face, he says, “And can you add a plain black coffee to that? All to go.”

“Black coffee?!” The girl makes a face. “That’s so boring! Why don’t you get the pumpkin spiced latte! It’s orange!” 

“Because I’ll need proper caffeine to survive later, and I prefer not to pick my coffee based on what colour it is.” He chuckles before asking Tessa for the overall amount and passing over the requisite number of bills. 

“I agree,” Tessa mock whispers to the girl. “I think a pumpkin spiced latte is ten times better than just plain old black coffee. Also chocolate is like the best flavour ever.” The girl grins back widely, and Tessa is delighted to see an adorable gap between her teeth. “And your names please?” she asks, ready with a sharpie to scribble on the cardboard drink holders. 

“Oh this is Charlotte-“

“And he’s Flynn Rider!” The blonde girl bursts out excitedly. “Doesn’t he just look like him? I told him he should grow a moustache, beard thing. But he said he didn’t have enough time!”

Tessa can only smile and nod in agreement, while privately thinking he looks plenty good clean-shaven.

The man does an elaborate  _ at your service _ bow that makes both Tessa and the little girl giggle. She scribbles their names down and turns around to get started on their drinks. She hears the duo move off to sit at the tire swing she had installed at one of the corners, but she steadily ignores their murmured chatter and the squeal of delight as the girl gets pushed by her dad. Tessa adds a little sense of wonder and happiness for the day in the two chocolate orders, but for the coffee, she restrains herself and just mixes in the usual boost of energy. Anyone who orders coffee would always enjoy the extra energy (without being wired) shot.

When she finally calls out for Charlotte and Flynn Rider, the man strides up to collect their purchases, thanks her with another charming smile, before shepherding the little girl out of the store. Leaving Tessa to wonder why her stomach is still fluttering with non-existent butterflies.

*

It’s exactly a week later on Sunday afternoon, when the man walks into the cafe again. The sharp draw of breath from Diane, one of her employees, catches Tessa’s attention. And looking up from behind the espresso machine, she barely recognizes Mr White Tunic Shirt.

Because he has changed costume and is no longer Flynn Rider.

Today, he’s dressed as Batman, completely with long-flowing cape. Thankfully he’s carrying his mask under one arm, so no one thinks this is an armed robbery situation. 

“Hi, Mr Wayne, can I take your order?” She calls out with a smile. 

“Shush… haven’t you heard of a secret identity before?” He frowns seriously at her, with a finger to his lips. But a smirk escapes, making him seem even more like Bruce Wayne than the brusque Batman to her. 

“Well, you took off your mask, so I had assumed you weren’t too worried about it. Where’s Charlotte today?”

“Oh back home. It’s dangerous work patrolling Gotham after all. Even in broad daylight.” He grins, his tongue between his teeth. Looking far too charming to be the Dark Knight.

“So a small, black coffee to give you a boost before patrol?”

“Actually, I was informed that might be a bit boring? Any recommendations? Nothing orange though,” he raises up a finger in protest. As if knowing exactly what’s on Tessa’s mind. “I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin. Plus I don’t think orange goes very well with the black and grey theme I’ve got going on.”

“Well…” Tessa pretends to give this careful consideration, while relishing the sound of his voice. “What do you think about strawberries in general? I personally think pink is a better match for your colour scheme?”

“Sure, pink is exactly what I’m looking for.” His hazel eyes twinkle at her, and feeling herself flush, Tessa hurriedly informs him the charge for a strawberry cappuccino, before turning away to make his drink. 

She wonders if Mr Flynn Rider/Batman is flirting with her. Tessa admits she’s not the best gauge for such things. She had checked out his ring finger last week – no ring. But that doesn’t really mean anything these days. Plenty of couples aren’t married or choose not to wear rings. Plus there is Charlotte to consider. Even if her father is single, there is the situation with her mother to consider, whatever that situation might be. 

Still she hopes Flynn will come into the shop more often and becomes a regular. She would love to see more of him and a little eye candy during the day was also always gratifying.

By the time she’s calling out for Batman in the shop, she told herself that a little mild flirtation never hurt anybody. He’s just another customer she’s enjoying talking to and helping out through the day.

=====

Flynn comes back into the store the next day. It’s a Monday afternoon and he’s in normal clothes. It startles her enough that she’s blatantly scrutinizing his baseball cap, coupled with a denim jacket with a hint of flannel underneath, over a white shirt. Trying to figure out if she should recognise it. 

“Hello, who are you today?” She calls out as he approaches the counter. 

“Me?” He stares down at his outfit. 

“Yes, I’m getting a bit of an 80s vibe here. Oh, I know!” She snaps her fingers in delight. “Back to the Future was on television last night and you’re Marty McFly!”

“Well, I guess I’m Marty McFly today then.” He grins and then pauses with a bemused look on his face. “It’s a good guess. I’m even wearing Calvin Klein today.” 

And Tessa’s mind goes straight into the gutter. 

It might be a joke, but it’s definitely resulting in an uphill struggle for Tessa to climb out of. She needs to get her tongue unstuck from the ceiling of her mouth as well.

“I do love movies from the 80s…songs too!” She babbles in return eventually. “I think it might be my favourite decade. But how come you aren’t really in a proper costume today?”

“Oh, I only have to dress up on Sundays. But I’m a little worried to learn what you think of my normal clothes. They must look rather outdated if you immediately think I’m a character from the 80s.”

“I think my brothers can boost your ego up a bit. I remember them thinking Marty McFly was  _ very _ cool. After all, he did travel back to the future. Moreover, didn’t he travel to 2015 at one point? So it's not  _ too _ outdated!”

“True. And both Marty and Michael J. Fox was cool so I’ll take that! I always loved the idea of that hoverboard as well. Why hasn’t it been invented yet?! I know I’m supposed to be a grown up, but I would love to take that out on the streets.” He exclaims with a devastating grin, before gesturing to a table. “Care to join me for awhile? I’m happy to try any drink you want to recommend-slash-offload onto me today!”

Tessa chuckles, before taking a look around her admittedly empty café. It’s non-peak period and she knows there won’t be much of a crowd for the next hour or so. A quick glance at Diane has already shown that the proactive girl has already moved to the cash register. Pretending very hard that she’s not been eavesdropping on the two of them since the man formerly dressed as Flynn Rider came in. 

Ever since his first appearance at the cafe, Diane had decided to tease Tessa about her apparent instant connection with the man. Claiming that although she was standing less than a metre away from Tessa the entire time Flynn Rider was making his order, she might as well have been invisible. Not once had the man’s gaze detoured away from Tessa to Diane. 

While Diane declared it was somewhat bruising to her ego, she also says she had a perfect view of the sparks crackling in the air between Tessa and Flynn. And there’s no way she can begrudge witnessing love at first sight.

While brushing off Diane’s teasing, Tessa had to agree that it was nice to garner the attention of an attractive man. So when faced by his warm, inviting smile today, she says yes. 

She proceeds to make a cinnamon latte for him and a matcha one for herself (with an additional magical rhyme to bring them both ease and contentment), and they squirrel themselves away in a corner booth. Spending at least two hours together discussing their favourite 80s movies, music and bands.

Flynn starts to come by the café more regularly. Every day in fact. Always giving her ridiculous fake names like Han Solo, John McClane, Ferris Bueller, and Maverick. Sometimes he only drops by for five minutes, other times for an hour. But they always have a chat.

And slowly but surely, a little friendship starts to form between Tessa and him. Over conversations about how well the Maple Leafs are doing (it’s very clear to her that he’s a massive fan), and how candy corn is disgusting and should be banned from all food and beverages (Tessa still can’t believe Jordan suggested to their mother it be added to her range of Halloween cupcakes), they get to know each other better. And by the end of the week, Flynn’s visits and his warm smiles have become the main highlight of each day for her.

They still know no real details about each other’s life though. He knows her name is Tessa and she’s the proprietor of the coffee shop (because of how Diane interacts with her), while she only knows he routinely dresses up in a costume on Sunday afternoons. Tessa had hoped to wheedle more information out of Charlotte again, but the girl hasn’t accompanied him to the shop since. And somehow Tessa always gets carried away in her conversations with Flynn to probe for more details about his personal life. 

Then when she’s telling Jordan all about Flynn during their usual dinner on Saturday evenings, Tessa suddenly realises the deepening frown being carved in her sister’s forehead is not the reaction she was expecting.

“What’s wrong Jordan?”

“This great guy walks into your life on Sunday the 6th, right?”

“Yes?” 

“Shit, damn it… could it be?!”

“What is it Jordan?” Tessa cries out, worried about how pale her sister has become.

“Ok do you remember we were doing readings at my place the night before on the 5th? Wine was involved and we were a bit giggly, contemplative and then mauldin?”

Tessa nods with a slight wince. The hangover the next morning was not fun, but the debut appearance of Flynn in the afternoon had made up for the crappy morning.

“Well, we were looking at our love lives, and the cards said you would have a new love interest in your life!”

“You think it refers to Flynn?” Tessa is more excited than she would care to admit.

“Yes, but not in a good way! Because I remember you rambling on about how you want someone who is fun and exciting, sweet and mysterious, handsome and sexy… and that for the first time ever, you admitted that you might be interested in settling down and having that family! And Flynn may appear to be all the above, but he has  _ no name!  _ I think you must have put in some real intention behind those words and cast a spell to conjure him up the next day! I mean, what is the likelihood that this great guy walks into your cafe the next day complete with a child already? It’s like a ready-made family for you!”

At this point, Tessa’s eyes are wide with confusion and trepidation. “But we can’t wish for love! Or do any type of love magic!”

“Exactly! But it was a full moon, and it’s October! And that’s why you still don’t have his name or know anything about him! Because he’s not actually  _ real!  _ You summoned him up somehow and that’s why he showed up as the fun Flynn Rider and then the mysterious Batman!”

Jordan continues to ramble on, while Tessa starts to panic. Because it is crystallising for her that while Flynn is exactly the kind of guy she would fall for, and has already started falling for, Jordan is  _ right. _ They talk about all kinds of wonderful things, and they seem to have so much in common, and yet she knows nothing  _ personal  _ about him at all. 

Jordan must have noticed Tessa trying to pull apart the seam of her knit sweater, and she finally stops her blather. She pats Tessa gently on her thigh, trying to reassure her little sister.

“Ok look, the easiest way is to ask him for his name. Which you know you could have asked at anytime instead of using it as a cute flirting tactic. Once you figure out who he is and where he comes from, then we can eliminate this possibility of you wishing him up.”

Tessa can only nod slowly as her mind spins wildly.

===== 

Tessa had spent an extremely sleepless night, going over every single interaction she’s ever had with Flynn. Trying to dissect if he’s ever shared anything personal with her before. Trying to analyse if the pull of attraction she feels for him is magical in nature. 

She has never been so attracted to a man before. So there might be some magical compulsion somewhere in there, that is pushing her towards Flynn. 

She also recalls how she had  _ hoped  _ Flynn would return to the cafe more often when she was making his cappuccino. And lo and behold, he proceeded to return every day since. Just as she had wished for. 

Tessa’s practically vibrating with nerves when Alma Moir walks into the cafe, bringing with her several trays of brownies, cookies and cakes. 

Though Tessa does a little baking for the cafe, she can’t really keep up with the demand and so she first enlisted her mother to help supply some homemade goodies (also infused with special qualities of course, through the herbs grown in her greenhouse). Kate is also a much better baker than Tessa, and so Tessa firmly believes that it was her mother’s baked goods which were the primary reason why Tessa was able to pay back her business loan within a year of opening. 

Nonetheless, demand from customers continued to soar, and eventually three months ago, Tessa had to ask her mother for ideas about expanding their selection. Kate responded by bringing Alma Moir into the shop.

*

_ “Tessa dear, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine, Alma Moir.” Kate gestures to the shorter brunette woman standing next to her. “I know you’ve been thinking of expanding your line of homemade desserts, and I thought like me, Alma might be a good local source for you to tap on. She’s from the baking club I joined years ago. The busyness of everyday life and having children broke the club part of things. However, the group still meets every few months. For brunch and wine though. Not so much baking anymore.” _

_ “Of course, yes! Do you have a few minutes to talk?” Tessa vaguely remembers the group of women Kate meets up with occasionally, but she knows anyone her mother recommends is probably an excellent baker. The wink Kate gave her with she mentions ‘baking club’, also gives Tessa pause. Was the baking club actually cover for a coven? _

_ Diane helped to take everyone’s orders and when they adjourned to a corner table to hammer out the details, Alma looks around the room with an appreciative smile that immediately draws Tessa in with its warmth. “The shop is very lovely. Kate mentioned you’ve been doing really well and it’s so easy to see why.”  _

_ “Thank you.” Tessa blushed. “I’ve always loved coffee so after graduating with my business degree, somehow this seemed like a perfect fit. I didn’t really inherit my mother’s baking skills though, which is why I’m so reliant on her as an additional supplier for the desserts I sell here. Can I ask how often you might be able to bake for the shop, and whether you have any special recipes that you can make?” _

_ In hindsight, maybe Tessa’s emphasis on ‘special’ recipes might have been a bit too pronounced. But Kate catches the hint immediately.  _

_ “Alma is a hedgewitch like us and she’s a very good baker. I think she’s a perfect fit, and I’ve already shared with her how we do little enhancements to the recipes.” _

_ “I do the same with my recipes all the time and I always bake at least twice a week even when I’m swamped at work. So how about I commit to that first? You can let me know if you need additional batches and we figure things out along the way?” _

_ “Would it be easy for you to drop them off at the cafe?” _

_ “Alma is head nurse at the hospital three blocks from here.” Kate chimes in.  _

_ “Yes, so I can easily drop the trays off on my way to the morning shift. And honestly I can probably bake more often if you need. I like to bake to destress after work, and I used to have three sons living in the house who would inhale all my baking. I usually add in a pinch of calmness and tranquility to most of my cookies, and I shudder to think what additional havoc they could have wreaked without those spells. They are all grown up now and scattered, but I’m still used to baking for three growing boys and a whole household of guests.” _

_ Tessa happily finalised more of the arrangement with Alma, and the three of them discussed what type of goodies Alma and Kate could bake for the following weeks. The conversation had moved on to Tessa’s brothers Casey and Kevin for a moment and how they had especially enjoyed carrot cake and apple pie, when Kate abruptly turns to Alma and says, “Speaking of sons, you mentioned yours were scattered, but I thought your youngest just moved back to London?” _

_ “Yes, my two older sons have their families based in Calgary and Toronto, and actually Danny will be bringing the kids out for a visit soon. But Scott just moved back from Montreal about two months ago. It’s great having him back in the area, but even he can’t eat all the cookies I want to bake. So this is a perfect solution.” _

*

Tessa’s become good friends with Alma in the intervening months, and having a more senior and experienced witch in the cafe becomes a chance for her to ask a few circumspect questions about how accidental spell casting might occur. 

“Well it’s a little difficult to accidentally cast a mega spell.” Alma says as she helps Tessa display the desserts in the glass counter. “There has to be real focused intention there for any spell to work, and naturally, you know we can’t do anything major like wish for more power, or success, or love. We can only give little boosts here and augments there that will hopefully lead to the end outcome we desire. For example, confidence so that someone can ask for that long overdue promotion, or intuition when one is going on a blind date and want to ferret out if the guy is telling the truth. Before they were married, I believe my nieces used to rely on that one quite a lot.”

A few customers come up to the counter at that moment, and so Tessa has to take their order. but afterwards she finds Alma waiting patiently to continue their chat. 

“Even with focused intention, spells don’t always work out well or the way we want them too. Hence how my cookies imbued with calmness, still did not stop my boys from destroying one vase, one window pane and two flower pots during the Christmas weekend of ‘94. Scott was so contrite and came to apologise each time, but I know he only broke the first flower pot and it was his older brothers who broke everything else. They convinced him to take the fall though since he was the youngest and they thought I would be more lenient on him.” 

Alma lets out a big sigh as she recalls that long ago weekend, which makes Tessa laugh. Everytime Alma visits, there is another funny story about her children or her grandchildren that makes it so clear how much Alma adores her family, and yet is exasperated with them so often. She had shared in the past how she sneakily send her sons treats with nostalgia baked into them to try and lure them back to London with homesickness. Thus far, it’s only worked on her youngest who had been living away from Ontario for over a decade before finally returning.

Alma’s youngest son has been brought up quite a few times since Tessa had met Alma that day with Kate. And at first, the existence of said son had immediately placed Tessa on high alert. Kate had tried to matchmake her several times before in the past. And Tessa has learned to be on her guard, whenever  _ any  _ man is suddenly mentioned in her mother’s presence. So she had quickly navigated the conversation back to Alma, baking and therefore safety. Subsequently, every time Alma or Kate have brought up Alma’s son (who’s apparently single), Tessa had ignored the reference and swiftly changed the subject.

“What about when you are a kid? I remember wishing awfully hard for a cat, and then getting one for my next birthday?” 

“Well, I’m assuming that as a child you were quite open to your parents about your desire for a cat and at most, your intense wishes would have manifested into several nudges or reminders for them about it. For instance, they might have received more flyers in the mail about pet adoption, or would somehow learn about various litters of kittens that needed new homes, etc. So while children can sometimes end up doing some accidental spell casting. They can’t for example magick something out of nothing.”

“So you can’t for instance accidentally wish up a pet, a boyfriend or a best friend?” Tessa asks nervously. 

“Nope, not at all.”

Alma’s words relieve her immeasurably. As she waves goodbye to the older woman, assuring her that she will come to the house party Alma’s throwing this Saturday, Tessa glanced up at the clock to check how many more hours until Flynn is likely to arrive.

=====

Flynn is late. The past two weeks he had popped into the cafe earlier on Sunday afternoons, but today it’s almost five and there’s still no sign of him. Each time the bell at the door chimes, Tessa looks up in anticipation, only to find that it’s not Flynn. 

And then the bell chimes again, and there he is, in a black Hogwarts cloak, red and yellow scarf, black rimmed glasses and a crudely drawn lighting bolt on his forehead.

“Hello Harry, welcome to the Secret Garden. I wasn’t sure if you would be turning up today?”

“Yes, sorry. I was running late today so I had to forego my coffee earlier. Now, I really need to make up for it. So whatever the recommendation today is, can I request that it be strong?” He staggers to a nearby table in an exaggerated fashion, that makes Tessa smile. 

For a split second, she contemplates not asking for his name and not finding out the truth. 

Right now, he’s her handsome Halloween mystery, but in a few minutes she could find out he’s a mere illusion, and Tessa knows she would be completely gutted. 

However, she can just envision Jordan’s disdainful eyebrow, and Tessa knows she must press on. So as she brews him a vanilla espresso, she keeps the conversation light. She asks if he’s really a Gryffindor in real life (yes), and mentions how she suspects she’s likely a Ravenclaw or Slytherin herself. 

After they joke about potentially being mortal enemies in Gryffindor and Slytherin, and he’s taken a few sips of his drink, she finally says “You know I’ve been calling you Flynn in my head these last two weeks? I like to think we are friends, but it’s been a bit hard when I realise I never caught your name.”

He stares at her blankly for a few seconds, before he laughs. “Oh yes, because of Charlotte that first visit! I kinda like the name Flynn though, much more dashing than my own boring name. In any case, it may be a few weeks late but hello, I’m Scott Moir.”

“Scott _Moir?” _Tessa is stunned. She definitely wasn’t expecting to hear that last name. “I don’t suppose you are related to Alma Moir?”

“Yes, she’s my mother…” Scott trails off, looking cute while confused. “How do you know her?”

“So I guess you didn’t know she helps supply the cafe with her treats?” 

Scott’s head swivels wildly to the counter and he spots the cupcakes. “Those look like her red velvet cupcakes.”

“That would be correct. Those were delivered by your mother this morning.”

“Wow, I can’t believe it! I mean when I first arrived in town, she kept wanting to introduce me to a young woman, which I guess is you, and a cafe but I was too busy moving and settling in at work and didn’t have time.”

“ _ My _ mother keeps bringing up the son of a friend of hers that is new in town, while your mother have shared with me countless stories about you and your brothers...”

Scott groans loudly. “I think Mom was the one who said my niece would like this cafe, and suggested I bring her here when Danny’s family was visiting. I don’t want to ask, but do you think we were set up?”

Tessa had been shaking her head in disbelief, but now she has to nod like a broken toy. “Um… yes I’m pretty certain we were.”

While it’s great to learn she hadn’t conjured up Scott, it’s still annoying to learn their mothers had been engineering some kind of set up.

It seems Scott feels exactly the same way. “Is it weird that on one hand, I feel terribly grateful to my mother, and on the other, I feel duped?”

“You feel _ grateful?” _ Tessa picks up on the word immediately, and begins to feel stirrings of hope in her chest. 

The tips of Scott’s ears turn pink as he suddenly looks abashed. And it’s adorable. 

“Well you know, grateful to have found such a great place to get my daily coffee…” He mutters quietly. “And you know grateful to have met you.”

He takes such a big gulp of his coffee then, that his Potter glasses go askew and he has to fix them. And something in her expression, probably the similarly shy grin, encourages him to continue speaking. “So I don’t know if you are seeing anyone? Probably not, because your mother would not have tried to matchmake you, but in any case, would you like to go out for dinner sometime?”

He pauses and then adds, “If dinner is too much, we could do coffee?” He scrunches up his face and then slaps his forehead. “Except we are already in a coffee place… so how about ice cream? Oh god, sorry for all the rambling. As you can tell I’m a bit nervous. And I’ve never asked someone out before dressed as Harry Potter.” 

Tessa can’t help giggling into her cup of chai tea. It appears the confident and easy-going Scott has no qualms wandering the streets in a Batman or Harry Potter costume, but is less sure of himself when he’s trying to ask a woman out. And that just makes him even more endearing to her. 

She reaches out to grasp his hand. “I would love to have dinner, or coffee, or ice cream anytime you want. I just have one question though...”

She can see the flicker of panic in Scott’s eyes and so she relents, putting him out of his misery. 

“What exactly is with the costumes?” 

“Oh!” Scott breathes a sigh of relief. “Mom works at the hospital down the street, and because Halloween is coming up, I’ve been dressing up as all these characters on Sundays to visit the children’s ward.”

Gosh, he really was the ideal guy. Her mother and Alma did good, but she still doesn’t like how they manipulated- A horrible thought flashes across her mind and causes her anxiety to rise again. 

“Scott, you don’t think our mothers did anything else to push us together?”

“Like what?”

“Like a spell?” She whispers the last part.

Again Scott’s head swings wildly around the cafe to check no one is near enough to listen.  _ “Are you a witch?”  _ he whispers to her.

“Yes, hedgewitch like your mother. Which is why my mother introduced her to me since we do little enhancements to what we offer here. How about you, did you inherit any gifts from her?”

The bell over the door chimes again and as Diane greets the new customer, Scott takes the added step of casting a spell to further muffle their conversation from all listening ears. Tessa can feel his magic sizzle in the air, and it leaves an arousing tingle on her skin.

“More from my dad actually. He’s a druid. None of my brothers and I were particularly good at hedgecraft. I’m not too bad with herbs and cooking in general, but my specialty is more with elemental stuff. Anyway, while spell casting is a little different with druids, I’m pretty certain like you guys, we all can’t mess about with feelings of love.” 

Then he stops, frowns, and then a look of astonishment and shock dawns on his face. “Mom baked cookies, chocolate chip cookies which are my favourite, on the day she suggested I visit Virtue’s Secret Garden on the way to the hospital. She’s also been dropping by my place fairly often. She’s test baking lots of new recipes, so I’ve been getting a new batch of treats almost every day this week, which is fairly unusual.”

“Both Alma and my mother have also been letting me test sample recipes all week.” Tessa adds with narrowed eyes. 

They stare at each other in slight horror, as they start to process recent behaviours and recent events.

“May I?” Tessa asks, and at his nod, she casts a strong detection spell on both of them.

The results are horrifying. There are multiple charms and spells on both of them to make them either more attractive to the opposite sex, or to make them more open to the concept of dating.

“All the clothes I’m wearing, except the Harry Potter stuff which I collected from the costume store this morning, were charmed to make me pick them!” Scott yelps. “My mother is actually selecting all my clothes for me! No wonder I haven’t been able to find my fave Maple Leafs sweats for weeks!”

“And I know I’m naturally reserved and cautious but I don’t need a spell to make me more approachable! Nor do I need help being sassy or reckless!” Tessa fumes. She knows it’s a little hypocritical considering what she does with the food and drink at Virtue’s Secret Garden. But those were little extra services she provides to her customers, and not mounted targeted attack campaigns!

It’s only visible to Scott and herself, but they looked bathed in a rainbow of various shimmering glows. The spells are all weaved in very carefully, aimed at different things ranging from the superficial, like Scott’s clothes, to more personality nudging like boosts in confidence and clarity, reminders to be more adventurous and friendly, etc. Also when Tessa moves over to the counter to check the leftovers of the test cheesecake Kate had dropped off at noon, she is able to confirm that the “friendly” spell came from there.

With a determined tilt of her chin, Tessa starts dissipating the various individual spells surrounding them. Scott joins her but it still takes them a good few minutes to get rid of them all. 

When the last spell fizzles out with a slight pop, they sit there quietly for a few seconds. And then they both exchange rebellious looks. Looks that any other youngest child would recognise, having had to deal with parents and bossy older siblings their whole lives. 

“Scott, I’m glad we met and would still love to go out with you anytime you want. But are you free for dinner tonight? I thought maybe whilst we get to know each other better, we could also discuss our mothers and how we need to get back at them somehow so they learn to never do anything like this again?”

“Oh you’re definitely a Slytherin and I like it!” Scott grins widely. “Let me just go back and change. I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“Perfect!”

=====

Dinner was fantastic. It flew by quickly and before she knew it, Tessa had invited Scott back to her home for some ice cream with her own ‘untainted’ brownies.

Tessa didn’t normally do this, but there was nothing normal about her ‘first’ date with Scott. They already knew each other a little (because of their chats together and because their mothers had fed a steady stream of information about them to each other), and as the evening progressed, they found they could really talk about everything under the sun. No additional spells or enhancements were necessary to smoothen the date along, though Scott did joke that clearly they could bond over meddling magical mothers. 

Tessa had never really dated anyone magical before. And neither had Scott. After all, the community wasn’t very big, and there was the whole secrecy part of their lifestyle that made other witches or druids hard to find. Scott quipped that in Ilderton where he had grown up, it was impossible as the only other magical people around him were all related to him.

Nonetheless, it was also hard to date other non-magical people. Tessa had once tried to hint at her witch background to a boyfriend. He had called her a freak for believing she had powers and the relationship had ended swiftly and badly almost immediately after. Whereas Scott had a girlfriend in Montreal who swung the complete opposite way. She had tried to pester Scott into casting spells to help her become famous, rich and a TV star. That relationship obviously hadn’t ended well either.

Just being able to talk openly with someone who knew and understand these fundamental facts and truths about their lives and families, was alluring. And it became immediately obvious to both Tessa and Scott that this spark between them was real and serious. And not manipulated into existence by their mothers. 

So Tessa can at least acknowledge that Kate and Alma did indeed have great instincts for trying to match her and Scott together. In fact, Tessa suspects they both would be clapping hands and congratulating each other excitedly if they could see Scott and her now. 

They were both sitting on her couch, cuddled next to each other, legs tangled and intertwined while eating out of each other’s bowls of dessert (since they each had different flavours). Scott finishes his bowl first, and is soon gently curling a finger loosely around her brunette tendrils. It’s terribly distracting, but when Tessa is done with her bowl, she does her best to distract him in kind. By pulling him down for a kiss.

It’s just as electrifying as the first two kisses they exchanged earlier this evening (the kiss on her cheek as he arrived to pick her up, and the one they shared when they were waiting for the valet to arrive with the car - it took effort after both to get the date back on track). But this time, there is nothing stopping them from deepening the kiss and getting carried away with the pulsing energy of attraction that has been humming away all night between them.

And so Tessa and Scott do indeed run away with it, crashing and stumbling their way through her house and eventually ending up in her bedroom. 

Tessa is gasping that she’s not usually this kind of girl; Scott is muttering that he used to be that kind of boy but not for years now and he’s definitely never felt like this with anyone else. 

And then words become superfluous as their magic reaches out to one another and wraps around their limbs and bodies. Enveloping them in waves of passion, enchantment and rapture.

=====

Waking up nestled in Scott’s arms, Tessa feels happiness like she’s never experienced before. The beep of her morning alarm though is seriously killing the mood, and judging from the grumpy growl escaping from the chest she’s lying on, Scott agrees with her.

“I know, but it is a Monday and we have to go to work. So aren’t you at least thankful I have a daily alarm set for the week? Otherwise, we likely would have overslept.”

“Honestly, the last thing I want to do is think about work,” Scott murmurs into her hair before he flips them over in bed, and starts kissing behind her ear and down to the crook of her neck. 

Tessa gives in much too easily. 

Which results in her running late for work this morning. Kate has already arrived (Diane has a dentist appointment and so Kate was helping to sub her for a few hours) and is waiting by the door as Tessa rushes over to unlock the cafe.

“You’re running behind schedule this morning? I don’t think I’ve ever arrived here before you.”

“Had a problem with my alarm,” Tessa replies glibly. “But I still made it with enough time to spare to open the shop.”

She’s so thankful she took the time to clean up the shop yesterday evening instead of rushing off to prepare for her date with Scott. Her mother would definitely know something was wrong if she came in and saw the cafe untidy. 

Tessa bustles around, doing the little prep work necessary for the start of the day. Such as filling up the water for the machines, starting the brew for the coffee. All the while wondering what her mother has in store for her today. 

She had a very in-depth discussion with Scott last night about how they will  _ not _ update their mothers about their new dating status, but will also actively disrupt any matchmaking shenanigans thrown their way. 

It’s a pride and principle matter for them both. In line with all the “treats” their mothers have given them, they deserved a trick back. 

As Kate helps Tessa arrange her homemade goodies into the display, she offers her daughter another ‘test sample’. Blackberry, lemon and thyme muffins. Which Tessa acknowledges is delicious. But now that she’s paying attention, she can detect how the muffin crumbling in her mouth has a hidden arsenal of enhancements, which are supposed to for example make her more open to new experiences.

It’s all very subtle. And all very sneaky.

Tessa would be impressed, if she wasn’t one of the targets of this campaign.

So as agreed with Scott last night, she finishes the muffin, and plays along with her mother’s seemingly nonchalant but probing questions and comments. 

Having exchanged notes, they’ve realised that while their mothers knew Scott had visited the cafe once with Charlotte a few weeks ago, they did not know about his subsequent visits nor the friendship that had grown between him and Tessa since. Instead, their mothers were still focused on and despairing over both children being too busy with work to think about dating or settling down. 

The enhanced treats had thus been meant to soften them up. Getting them to be more open to outside possibilities instead of being focused on their careers. Careful analysis has also revealed that many of these treats were then almost immediately followed up by specific conversations. 

For instance, Kate this morning started off by mentioning how Tessa’s brother Kevin had just called, and how she was just  _ so happy _ he had finally settled down with Michele, and that they were really embracing married life together. Enjoying each other’s companionship and support through everyday life and struggles… Kate then moved on to how much she’s been enjoying spending time with Alma and how she’s looking forward to meeting Alma’s husband Joe again, as well as getting to know the son who just came back from Montreal. Then she sneaks in how nice he was to special order some flowers and herbs for Alma’s garden and helped Alma plant them last week. 

The entire time Kate is chattering away, in such a seemingly casual manner, Tessa is marveling at her mother’s marketing and promotional skills. She makes an internal note to tell Scott he probably owes Kate some flowers as well, given how expertly she’s been selling him. 

Then Kate asks what costume Tessa is going to dress up in for Alma’s Halloween party. Tessa shrugs, stating that she hasn’t quite figured out her outfit.

Then it’s time for the bombshell.

“Alma’s party is an open house right? It’s not a sit down thing which would be awkward if I wanted to bring a date?”

Tessa can literally feel Kate’s stare at the back of her head, and she hides a gleeful smirk.

“Date? Are you dating someone?!”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it exactly dating… just a bit of fun and maybe not quite someone, but a few someones?” Tessa emphasises the naughty smugness in her voice. With a careless air, she adds, “I’m not sure what came over me the last week or so, but I just decided that I’m still young and should stop being so serious all the time. There’s lots of fish in the ocean, and that’s what my twenties are supposed to be like right? Having lots of fun?”

The look on Kate’s face is absolutely hilarious. Her mother is usually filled with aplomb and poise. Nothing ever rattles her. Except hearing about her daughter’s apparent slutty attitude. Which causes her mouth to gape open and her eyes to widen dramatically in alarm.

It fuels Tessa to keep going on. There’s a huge part of her which is dying inside. Cringing with embarrassment at how she’s basically hinting to her mother that she’s been sleeping around or is planning to sleep around with a bunch of guys (she actually namedrops Bruce, Marty, Harry, etc) that she’s only met in the last two weeks. She’s also makes it quite clear that she’s planning to drag one of these new potential fuck buddies to Alma’s party because they can get a few drinks in before getting to the main event. 

But it’s for a good cause, and with fierce determination she carries on blithely until Kate practically throws her apron on the counter when Diane arrives, and runs for the door. 

Then Tessa erupts into giggles like a ten year old girl who just heard a dirty word and doesn’t know how to express her simultaneous delight and bashfulness. Diane stares at her like she’s a lunatic, but Tessa just waves off her concern and proceeds to message Scott a quick update about the whole incident. 

When he comes in the cafe later that afternoon, they exchange details about what has happened with their respective parents. Scott almost falls off the chair guffawing when Tessa recounts exactly what she told Kate. 

“Gosh, you’re brilliant! I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall here.” He gazes at her with such admiring eyes that Tessa feels herself blush again, whilst an ache starts to form low in her gut. She can't wait for the day to be over so that she can properly be in his embrace again.

Then it’s Scott’s turn to share how he had let ‘slip’ to Alma about how he’s met someone new at the office. How he’s really happy and excited, even though she’s about to transfer to Vancouver. Nonetheless if all goes well, he’ll get a chance to transfer himself in about six months.

Amidst more laughter, they acknowledge feeling mean to their mothers, especially frightening them this way. Scott wavers a little, wondering if Tessa feels uncomfortable about the story she’s told Kate, saying they can totally backpedal if she wants. 

But it’s Tessa who keeps them focused on the plan, reminding him that they found a dozen more little charms in their two homes. Which is pretty impressive given that Scott’s only been in London a few months. Alma must have been very busy while his back was turned.

More resolute than ever, they keep the charade up for the next few days. It’s more than enough to cause a worried Kate to ask Jordan to help her intervene. To check up on her little sister and nudge her towards a more settled relationship. 

Unfortunately for her, after Tessa had updated Jordan about Kate’s “subtle” attempts at matchmaking, Jordan had subsequently found a few similar charms and spells in her house. They were a little dusty, having been cast quite a long time ago, but they were still effective and insidiously working their magic on Jordan. The only difference between the two sisters is that there’s an actual man that Kate is steering Tessa towards (which accounts for the overload of spells on Tessa these few weeks). Clearly, there’s no statute of limitations for anger, and thus it’s not enough to stop Jordan from gleefully siding with Tessa on this matter.

In fact, Jordan claims to be thrilled at Tessa's sudden change in attitude towards men. Leaving Kate to internally lament how she managed to successfully marry off two sons, but have utterly failed with her daughters.

In the case of Scott, he gets a few calls from his brothers as well. They however do  _ not _ know the trick that is being played on Alma, and so they are genuinely concerned about whether he’s moving too fast with this girl.

_ “Aren’t normal people supposed to learn from their mistakes? Didn’t you choose Montreal for college solely for a girl? And that relationship barely lasted into your freshman year! This attitude is semi-forgivable when you’re 18 and stupid. Not anymore, dude!” _

_ “Scotty, it’s been awhile since you thought with your dick instead of your brain. But I knew it couldn’t last long! You barely know this girl and you want to move across the country for her?! Even though you only just moved back to London! Tell me the truth… does she have three tits or something?” _

Scott’s only thankful he’s communicating with Danny and Charlie over the phone. It’s much easier to hang up on them. Also he suspects they would be able to sniff out Tessa and a prank way faster if they were in the same time zone as him. Scott’s already trying to avoid speaking too often with his mother in case he gives something away.

Nevertheless, by the morning of Alma’s Halloween party, Tessa and Scott definitely have their parents in a deep quandary. 

=====

When Tessa scurries into Alma’s house on Saturday evening (despite her trench coat, it’s still way too cold for her outfit), she finds the house packed with people and children. Alma is hosting the party mostly for her colleagues from the hospital, and it’s so crowded that Tessa wonders how the department is even functioning with so many of its staff here. 

She makes her way into the kitchen, where she finds both Alma and Kate refilling snack platters and the punch bowl (which does look a suspiciously spooky shade of purple). “Hi Alma, it’s a lovely party you have going on. The decorations are quite wonderful, especially the skeleton you have greeting guests outside. Do you need some help here though?”

“Oh no, dear. Your mother has already kindly volunteered to help me out. Why don’t you take off your coat though and leave your bags upstairs? We’re blasting the heat throughout the house and we are using the bedrooms as cloakrooms. Are those wings you are carrying there?”

“Yes, it was way too cold for me to figure out how to wear my coat over it. So I’ll just put it on upstairs.” 

Tessa is just about to turn to leave when Kate chimes in. “Where’s your date, Tessa? Did you not bring one tonight?”

“Oh no, he’s around here somewhere. I just dropped by to say hello here first. I’ll go out and find him.” 

She can see both Kate and Alma’s faces fall in perfect unison. Clearly they were hoping they would still get the chance to matchmake her and Scott tonight. She wonders exactly how ecstatic they would be to learn that the date she is referring to  _ is _ Scott. 

Tessa slowly makes her way up the stairs where it’s quieter. She takes her time to study the family pictures on the hallways, giggling softly at how adorable Scott was when he was a young boy. There’s a picture of him as a cowboy when he couldn't have been more than six, and another with his older brothers where they were all inexplicably dressed as mermaids. She suspects Alma somehow had a hand in those costumes. 

She recalls how Scott once mentioned that as the youngest, he was lucky enough to get his own room tucked away in the corner. So making an educated guess, she opens a door to find a Maple Leaf bedspread and a faded poster of the Leafs on the wall. There’s a picture of a delighted Scott with Mike Babcock on the desk, confirming she’s found the right room and she wanders over to his shelves to get better insight into the teenage mind of the man she’s dating. 

There are a number of school trophies and more books than she expected, though they’re mostly biographies of athletes. She’s thumbing through a well-worn copy of a hockey player’s memoir, when she hears the door opening behind her. She turns to find Scott leaning against his doorway. Still looking handsome despite the green tights. A perfect Peter Pan for her Tinkerbell. She was planning to join him for his visit at the hospital the next day (Diane would be able to handle the shop for a few hours), and they decided to just recycle the outfit for both days. 

“So many years, I dreamed about being able to sneak a pretty girl into my bedroom, and today, she just walks in for me to find her. My seventeen year old self would be really excited.”

“I’m surprised.” Tessa replies with a sly smile as she sits down on his bed and pats the bed spread. “Based on this room, it appears teenage Scott was only obsessed with one thing - sports!”

Scott looks around his room and groans. “I forgot how obsessed I was with hockey back in the day.”

“Only back in the day?”

“Ok, I admit I’m still quite the sports fan but at least my obsessiveness isn’t so obvious in my house now.”

“I think the signed jersey on your wall is still a pretty good indication.” 

“It was a gift! It’s polite to make use of your gifts and display them nicely in your house.”

“Alright, whatever makes you feel better. I was personally hoping to find a poster of a girl group or an actress that teenage Scott had crushed on. It would have been great inspiration for my real Halloween outfit later this week.”

Scott’s eyes darken as he closes the door firmly behind him and takes one, then two big steps to join her on the bed. “I’m an open book, what do you want to know? Favourite singer, favourite actress?”

“Yes, please.” Tessa says with her tongue between her teeth. 

“Jennifer Lopez was a big crush of mine… and Reese Witherspoon, especially when she was a brunette in Walk the Line.” He reaches out to playfully tug on her brunette curls. 

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind!” Tessa teases. “But I think I’ve figured out my outfit for you. It’s pretty simple but I have it already and don’t have to pick anything up.” 

“Really? What is it?”

“I thought I could just go into your closet. Put on your Maple Leafs jersey…” She lowers her voice. “And wear nothing else.”

Scott groans loudly, like he’s in real pain. “Oh gawd T… you are not supposed to tell me things like this. In my parents’ house, no less!”

“I thought that would be yours and seventeen year old Scott’s dream? A girl wearing your favourite jersey, in your childhood bedroom, on this bed-”

Scott pulls her in for a hard kiss then, before going straight for one of his already all-time favourite Tessa spots - the crook of her neck. “You’re killing me, T!” He mumbled as he nibbles and licks his way down her throat, tearing off her coat and then tugging down the straps of her Tinkerbell costume. Despite the intense pleasure and distraction, Tessa is able to get most of his shirt off and has one hand down the front of his tights, cupping him when...

“Scott, have you seen Kate’s- oh my god!” The door opens and then quickly shuts again as Tessa and Scott scramble apart and try to repair their clothing.

Alma’s shocked voice floats through the door. “It’s the two of them!”

“I know! I saw!” Kate exclaims back. “What magic did you put in his room?!”

“I didn’t put anything! I never have! Except a  _ please tidy up behind you _ spell to make my life easier when the boys were younger! The last thing I wanted to do was encourage teenage boys in their bedrooms!”

“Then one of our spells must have backfired or they mixed badly with one another because they aren’t supposed to behave like this! It’s been weird all week but this is too much!”

“We need to fix things! Do you think it’s the strawberry chocolate cake?”

“Maybe it was the caramel apple cake!”

As Tessa struggles to fix up her hair, she wonders how in the world their mothers have managed to keep their status as witches a secret their whole lives. Their hurried conversation was so loud, that Scott and her could hear every panicked word. She would be amused if she wasn’t so embarrassed about both their mothers walking in on her and Scott about to move into incredibly R-rated territory. Thankfully, they were still mostly clothed… though there’s no disguising where her hand was at the time.

“Come on!” She hisses to Scott, pulling him towards the door. “We need to stop them before they cast yet another spell thinking it will solve things.”

“T, I would really,  _ really _ like to but I need like another minute.” He makes a slightly embarrassed nod down as both hands move to cover his crotch.

“Really? I thought the unwelcome interruptions of both our mothers would have taken care of him?”

“Well, he hasn’t finished reading the memo, because he’s still a little caught up with what was happening before!”

Tessa can tell the Peter Pan outfit is really not helping to hide things either. The tunic top and tights combo is somehow making Scott’s weapon much more obscene. Especially since the character is supposed to be a pubescent boy who never grows up. The rather large bulge in Scott’s pants is definitely adult.

“Here!” She snatches up his felt hat that’s fallen onto the bed and presses it against his groin area. Before dragging him out into the hallway where their mothers are still intensively debating the possible negative backlash and side effects of their spells on their children.

“Mom, Alma, we know about the spells and we don’t need a new one to fix anything!”

After exchanging a quick reaffirming glance with Tessa, Scott adds, “Yes, the behaviour you were referring to in the last week, was also part of a prank or trick we were hoping to play out tonight in response to all the manipulative spells you’ve cast on us recently.”

“We are grown adults,” Tessa says softly. “You don’t need to use magic to lead us through our lives, especially our love lives.” 

“Did you say you were planning to play it out later?” Kate interjects with a gleam in her eye.

“So you didn’t intend for us to see you earlier? Which means what we walked into was real then?” Alma chimes in with an equally alarming look on her face.

“Woah! That’s not the point!” Tessa cries, trying to prevent them from jumping on board a happy train and becoming even worse with their machinations. “Jordan is very unhappy as well at all your sneaky spells-” 

It’s too late. The two older women have their hands clasped together with ridiculously insane grins as they gazed gleefully at Tessa and Scott. “I knew our readings were correct. Our interfering really did bring them together.” Kate says.

“Oh, and just think… within two years, we will be formally related with another little Moir!” Alma shares a satisfied smile with Kate. “We should do another reading to find out more about their future. We didn’t look that far ahead.”

That definitely landed like a bombshell in front of Tessa and Scott. 

Shellshocked, they stare wide-eyed, mouth agape at each other for a few seconds. Since looking at their mothers is too dangerous.

Tessa is torn. She wants to jump in, change the subject and hammer in the point she initially wanted to make before they got so incredibly sidetracked. On the other hand, she thinks running away might be a better strategy at this moment. 

Recognising the look on his mother’s face, Scott has already made his decision. Acting on the very understandable flight instinct, he drags Tessa back towards his room. 

“It’s no use, especially when they are in such a gleeful mood. Let’s collect our stuff and just get out of here before they just openly start casting more magic and doing more divination. Anyway, we also have other pressing issues we need to focus on.”

“Like what?” Tessa asks softly as she watches him gather up her belongings. Wondering if he’s focused on and freaking out about the revelation from Kate and Alma.

“Well, I want to finish what we started earlier, and eventually we need to figure out what time the costume shop opens tomorrow and what kind of options we can get from them at this late stage.”

He pauses to smoothen down the front of his tunic and tights again. With a lascivious grin, he adds, “I don’t think I can go out in public in this costume again. Especially with you in that delectable outfit. I’ll get picked up for lewd behaviour!”

They smile and chuckle with one another as they run out of the house and into Scott’s car parked outside.

Tessa can feel her heart soar as she envisions her future. With Scott. 

=====

Tessa adores Halloween, it’s her favourite time of the year. 

Dressing up for the holiday season is particularly fun. She joins Scott at the children’s ward every Sunday every October and they do couple costumes that the kids adore and would be familiar with. Everything from Disney (the usual suspects) to comic book characters (both Marvel and DC) to literary characters (like Katniss and Peeta, Anne and Gilbert, and Aragorn and Arwen).

When their first child arrives, the tradition continues. That first year, they dress their baby in a lion cub onesie, complete with hood, while they dress up as Simba and Nala. And as their family grows, so do their options for costumes, like the Addams Family, Star Wars and Mary Poppins.

She thinks back to her first year together with Scott, and how they had tried to quickly swap their Peter Pan and Tinkerbell costumes for something much more sedate to visit the hospital. The shop was out of decent options for them that morning (there were plenty of other indecent options), but eventually they managed to find brown corduroy shorts that was safer for Scott to appear as Peter Pan in public. (Scott claimed he was still reminded of how gorgeous Tinkerbell had been in his bed that morning). 

Tessa found that she enjoyed bringing these characters to live and entertaining their young audience with random storylines Scott and her would come up with on the spot. They don’t do store-rented costumes anymore as well. Tessa takes her fashion, even Halloween fashion, very seriously. And she’s found she had a bit of a special knack, both magically and non-magically, for making costumes. 

The only time she doesn’t need to plan too much for a Halloween costume though, is the one outfit she pulls out every year. It has become tradition for Tessa to put on that Maple Leaf jersey on Halloween night itself so that Scott and her can create some magic of their own. In fact, Tessa doesn’t always keep that outfit for October, but breaks it out whenever she feels like it. 

Scott has no complaints obviously. His love for Halloween has increased exponentially since he met Tessa. They’ve found magic not just a random trait that is passed down their respective families, but something that connects him and Tessa at an even deeper level than any other person he’s ever met. Druid and witch magic don’t always coexist well, but Tessa and Scott have discovered that their magic match perfectly on any spells they try and cast together. There’s this additional boost they give to one another, that they don’t even get doing magic with their own family. 

It’s sometimes even unconscious, which is why both Kate and Alma have started to use the herbs in Tessa and Scott’s garden instead of those in their respective greenhouses and gardens. Both mothers have sworn that the happiness of Tessa and Scott have leaked into the very foundation of the house and grounds, resulting in the innate powers of these plants and flowers that have been somehow enhanced by Tessa and Scott’s marriage. 

The couple doesn’t bother to argue with them. They just expect their mothers to drop by practically every day (which actually grows to become useful once they have children and enjoy the free babysitting). 

Though as a principle they never mention it to Alma and Kate, they really are grateful for their matchmaking efforts. Perhaps Tessa and Scott would have met each other naturally (there was actually a good likelihood given Alma still helped Tessa and Kate with the cafe baking), but their spells probably did enhance Tessa and Scott’s entire courtship process.

Tessa still does diagnostics over herself and Scott, and the house every week though. They’ve learned from the past to never doubt the sneakiness of a well-intentioned mother with magical powers. 

Let alone two of them.

  
  


*****

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should edit this more but heck it! Also if the ending seems rushed, it’s because it kinda was. The only thing I had vaguely in my head was the coffee shop setting and Scott giving Tessa a whole bunch of fake names. Other than that, I’m not sure where the rest came from so I apologise if it’s more messy than usual. I just wrote and wrote without trying to think too much about it...


End file.
